Deaf Republic

Ilya Kaminsky's Deaf Republic is a remarkable parable in poems that explores the nature of silence and the consequences of political unrest. Set in an occupied territory, the story follows the lives of townspeople as they navigate public violence and dissent through sign language. The book confronts our time's atrocities and our collective silence in the face of them.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 96 pages
Publication date: 20 June 2019
Publisher: Faber & Faber

BBC Radio 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK FORWARD PRIZE 2019 SHORTLIST POETRY BOOK SOCIETY CHOICE 2019 T. S. ELIOT PRIZE 2019 SHORTLIST Deaf Republic opens in a time of political unrest in an occupied territory. It is uncertain where we are or when,in what country or during what conflict,but we come to recognise that these events are also happening here,right now. This astonishing parable in poems unfolds episodically like a play,its powerful narrative provoked by a tragic opening scene: when soldiers breaking up a protest kill a deaf boy,the gunshot becomes the last thing the citizens hear - in that moment,all have gone deaf. Inside this silence,their dissent becomes coordinated by sign language. The story then follows the private lives of townspeople encircled by public violence: a newly married couple,Alfonso and Sonya,expecting their child; the daring Momma Galya,instigating the insurgency from her puppet theatre; and Galya s puppeteers,covertly teaching signs by day and by night heroically luring soldiers one by one to their deaths behind the curtain. At once a love story,an elegy,and an urgent plea, Deaf Republic confronts our time s vicious atrocities and our collective silence in the face of them.

Weight: 170g
Dimension: 200 x 158 x 8 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780571351411
Edition number: Main